Healthy French Toast with Cinnamon

Why this is a great breakfast recipe

This healthy French toast with cinnamon tastes like dessert for breakfast and it’s somehow healthy?! This recipe serves 4 and only takes around 15 minutes to whip up.

You can easily adapt this recipe, as you can add your fave French toast toppings, which is then supported by the delicious pan-fried, crispy cinnamon toast foundation.

I’m not usually into sweet breakfasts, but this recipe is the one. It’s made with a handful of ingredients and is low calorie and high in protein.

Ingredients

Thick wholemeal bread 

I’ve opted for wholemeal bread with this recipe, as being a complex carb rather than a simple carb, we’ll feel fuller for longer which is what we need with a healthy breakfast recipe. The flavour is also not compromised, as we have so much going on in terms of seasoning, sweetness and cooking method so trust me on this one  – you’ll love the end result. 

Cinnamon 

For this easy healthy French toast recipe, I’ve incorporated cinnamon to add warmth to the recipe. Cinnamon french toast also has a bit of a ‘churro’ flavour/vibe, which is such a treat at breakfast time. 

Egg 

Adds protein, nutrients and helps to crisp up the French toast. 

Skimmed Milk 

Using skimmed milk helps to keep this as a low calorie French toast recipe without compromising on the dredge for the batter. 

0% Fat greek yogurt 

I love a dollop of Greek yogurt to add tang, it also serves as almost a dip for the cinnamon French toast. 

Frozen Mixed Berries 

The frozen mixed berries are a great budget alternative to fresh fruit, as you get a mix of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, instead of having to buy an individual package of each. It also means you’re getting more of a variety of nutrients! 

Honey

A store-cupboard ingredient that everyone has. This adds sweetness, crisp and flavour to our healthy French toast. 

Vanilla Extract 

For flavour and sweetness. If you don’t have this in your cupboard, feel free to leave out. 

Different Topping Options

French toast topping options:

Frozen mixed berries
Greek Yogurt
Banana
Chocolate chips
Butter
Brown sugar
Fresh berries
Walnuts
Streaky bacon

Is French toast healthy?

Yes absolutely! Although this is a sweet breakfast that almost tastes too good to be healthy, it’s perfectly balanced and has lots of nutrients and fibre. 

Variants micronutrients → egg, yogurt, frozen berries, honey and wholemeal bread

Fibre → wholemeal bread

Protein → egg, yogurt and milk  

Healthy fats → egg, yogurt and rapeseed oil. 

If you want to increase the calcium in this recipe, opt for full fat greek yogurt/milk instead. 

Is this a low calorie french toast recipe?

It is! For two slices of healthy cinnamon french toast, it comes in at  406 kcal for a decent portion size. 

Other healthy toast recipes you may also like:

Pizza Toast (Hailey Bieber’s Tiktok Inspired Recipe)

Slow Roasted Cherry Tomato Ricotta Toast

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese (Budget Philadelphia)

How to make healthy French toast

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 130°C

Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, honey and cinnamon in a bowl.  Allow the berries to defrost.

Whisk together until combined.

One by one, dunk the stale pieces of bread into milk/egg mix.

Then transfer into the frying pan, frying 2 pieces at a time.

After around 3 minutes, or until golden brown, rotate and repeat the frying process on the other side. Transfer to the oven whilst completing dunking/frying the rest of the pieces of bread. 

Serve the French toast with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a handful of mixed berries, a squeeze of honey and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.

FAQ

Can I make this French toast with almond milk?

Yes, this recipe is easily adapted when it comes to your milk preference. As the recipe is sweet, you can use most plant based milk irrespective, if they’re unsweetened or not so feel free to use your favourite almond, oat, soy milk etc. 

What’s the best bread to use for French toast?

As this is a healthy French toast recipe, I used thick-cut wholemeal bread to add nutrients and fibre. But when it comes to bread choice, as long as you choose a thicker bread, that can handle being submerged in liquid, you’ll be good. We don’t want a standard thickness of bread, as it might disintegrate when added to the milk/egg mix. 

Can I make this recipe gluten free?

Yes, just substitute with your favourite wholemeal gluten-free bread, ensuring that the slices are thick. 

Can I bake my French toast instead of frying it?

I think frying is best to achieve the crispy exterior on the bread. If you were to bake to reduce the oil from frying, you could air-fry or place under the grill for 5 minutes on one side, then rotating and cooking the otherside.  

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

This recipe is best served fresh as we want the healthy french toast to be crispy and warm. If reheated it would turn more soggy (would definitely still be tasty though).